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White Bean Soup

White bean soup with garlic-herb broth, creamy cannellini beans, and wilted kale—simmered until silky and finished with lemon, olive oil, and parmesan. A quick Italian-American main dish that balances cozy texture with bright, savory flavor.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cannellini beans
  • 3 can (15 oz) cannellini beans drained
Kale or spinach
  • 4 cup kale or spinach chopped
Onion
  • 1 onion diced
Garlic
  • 6 garlic minced
Vegetable or chicken broth
  • 6 cup vegetable or chicken broth
Olive oil
  • 3 tbsp olive oil plus more for serving
Dried rosemary
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
Red pepper flakes
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
Parmesan rind
  • 1 parmesan rind
Lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice for serving
Parmesan
  • 0.25 cup parmesan shavings for serving
Salt
  • 1 tsp salt to taste
Black pepper
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sauté aromatics
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, then sauté the diced onion for 5 minutes until softened.
Build flavor
  1. Add the minced garlic, dried rosemary, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes, then cook for 2 minutes until fragrant.
Simmer the broth
  1. Stir in the drained cannellini beans, vegetable or chicken broth, and parmesan rind, then bring the soup to a boil.
  2. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, then remove the parmesan rind.
Make it creamy and wilt greens
  1. Mash or blend about half the beans for a creamy texture, leaving the rest chunky.
  2. Add the chopped kale (or spinach) and cook for 5 minutes until wilted.
Season and finish
  1. Season with salt and black pepper to taste, then finish with lemon juice, extra olive oil, and parmesan.

Notes

Pro tip: for the creamiest texture without heavy blending, mash the beans directly in the pot with a fork for about half. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 4 days; reheat gently until hot. Freezing is not ideal for leafy greens, but you can freeze the bean base (before adding kale/spinach) for up to 2 months and stir greens in when reheating. For a dairy-light option, skip the parmesan rind and use a small amount of nutritional yeast to help keep the broth savory.